3:30 p.m. Flight from Lima LP 382In just an hour and 45 minutes you will be in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon region.

5:15 p.m. Arrival. Your guides await you, as your flight from Lima glides in for landing at Iquitos International Airport. After you’ve claimed your luggage, you will board an air-conditioned bus for your journey to the river.

5:40 p.m. Transfer to Nauta’s main wharf. Enjoy a scenic one-and-a-half hour drive through the Peruvian countryside to the small village of Nauta. You will be traveling along the only road out of town . . . and it only goes as far as Nauta.

7:10 p.m. Check-In. Over the next four days, you will also sail along the largest tributaries of the Amazon, as well as the mighty Amazon itself. You are embarking on a spectacular adventure, to a place visited by only a few of the most experienced world travelers.

8:00 p.m. Safety Drill and Briefing on the Upper Deck. Before dinner we will perform a routine safety drill. Then you will learn about life onboard, and will have the first of the nightly briefings about your adventure to follow. You will meet the naturalist guides and the cruise director, who will use video, photos, and maps to explain the details of your journey into the Amazon.

6:30 a.m. Ucayali River ExplorationWe will board our skiffs just as the giant sun rises above the jungle. As we move down the Ucalyali River, the Amazon’s largest tributary, your naturalist guides will point out an amazing variety of wildlife, particularly active in the early hours of the day. Keep your eyes out for three-toed sloth hanging from tree limbs, for prehistoric-looking iguanas, and for a multitude of birds . . . orioles, horned screams, the list is long and varied.

8:00 a.m. Breakfast

9:30 a.m. Jungle Walk to Magdalena. We stroll through the village of Madgalena, a small community of just ten families. After you meet the people, including lots of lively and curious children, your naturalist guides will lead you through the jungle to a beautiful lake that is home to the world famous Victoria Regia giant water lily. Have your cameras ready to capture this once-in-a-lifetime sight.

12:00 p.m. Return to the M/V AquaCool towels and chilled fruit juice await you, as you step out of the skiffs.

12:30 p.m. Lunch

4:00 p.m. Ucayali Exploration and Puinahua and Discovery TourYou will continue along the majestic Ucayali River by skiff, enjoying the opportunity to see and meet native balseros, or fishermen. They will demonstrate their skill and let you see their catch—including a type of “armored” catfish with a shell-like skin. You will have at least one chance to sample this delicious local fish at dinner aboard the M/V Aqua. We are also likely to spot, and have an opportunity to photograph, the “banana balsero” rafts, loaded with hundreds of clusters of bananas en route to market. Keep your binoculars ready to get an up-close look at woodpeckers, parrots, macaws, and toucans.

8:30 a.m. Jungle Walk Near Hatum Posa Village. Your guides will introduce you to native people doing subsistence farming, and will tell you how they learned to cultivate wild plants and trees to earn farm income. As your adventure takes you deep into the primary forest, your guides will also show you the wealth of fruit trees and medicinal plants hidden in the jungle—and will reveal some of their secrets.

11:30 a.m. Return to the M/V Aqua

12:30 p.m. Lunch

3:30 p.m. Pacaya River Exploration, Plus Night Trip from Ranger Station No. 1 to Yanayacu LakeIn the late afternoon, we will take our skiffs along the Pacaya River, journeying toward the scenic Yanayacu Lake. There you can view the abundant life that is hidden in the deep rainforest.We have chosen this time of day to give you the chance to see the late afternoon activity of the rainforest animals, including fluffy saki monkeys, capuchin monkeys, and the easy-to-spot howlermonkeys. As the sun sets, listen for the loud, ferocious-sounding warning signals made by the howler monkeys, as they mark their territories.When night falls, you will hear the second movement of the Amazon rainforest symphony, as other nocturnal animals send their shrill calls across the tree tops. We will use our special spotlight torches to locate night creatures, including, perhaps, huge caimans.

7:30 p.m. Return to the M/V AquaTonight the vessel will be docked by the No. 1 Ranger Station in Pacaya Samiria National Park.

8:30 p.m. Dinner

Day 4: Friday - PACAYA RIVER / PUINAHUA VILLAGE VISIT

6:30 a.m. Pacaya Exploration; Breakfast on the SkiffsBack on the river as the sun rises, you will see a treasure trove of wildlife, including parrots, macaws, toucans, and many kinds of monkeys—as well as some “surprise” species that you have never seen before. Enjoy a “bag breakfast” of light sandwiches and fresh juice. Since we will stop near a popular dolphin feeding spot, you will see quite a show as you enjoy your meal.After breakfast, armed with poles and bait, we will take you to a special place on this fish-rich river, where you will catch some of the more than 3,000 species of tropical fish that live in the Amazon Basin. The key target will be piranhas, the small carnivorous fish with a fearsome reputation—considered a good food source by the locals.

11:00 a.m. Return to the M/V AquaAs our journey nears its end, your luxurious home away from home starts to sail back down the river ward Iquitos. It isn’t over yet, however. A new adventure awaits you this afternoon.

12:30 p.m. Lunch

4:00 p.m. Native Village VisitThis pleasant optional afternoon excursion, will take you to a riverside village – home to a friendly group of fishermen and farmers, and their families. Your guide will translate for you, as you interact with the local people.

5:30 p.m. Return to the M/V AquaWe will sail downstream all night, as we make our way to Iquitos, and your onward flight.

8:00 p.m. Farewell Dinner

9:00 p.m. Crew Presentation

Day 5: Saturday - DISEMBARK AT THE MAIN WHARF/CITY TOUR/IQUITOS/LIMA

7:30 a.m. Breakfast

9:30 a.m. Morning Excursion – The excursions today will depend on the level of the river. If weather and time permits, this will be the last opportunity to see how people live along the Amazon, as we travel by skiff through Iquitos’ lively riverside community of Belen. Here, where the houses and shops actually float on the river during some months, you will see the bustling food market for all the Peruvian Amazon. All local inhabitants throughout the region sell and purchase goods here.Some groups may instead take a short skiff ride to visit the Boras indigenous community, on theMomon River. The Bora tribe only emerged from deep inside the rainforest more than 30 years ago. They have a powerful commitment to maintaining their traditional culture. We will see them perform some of their most colorful dances for you.

11:00 a.m. Return to the M/V AquaYou have time to pack and prepare for the next stage of your journey.

12:00 p.m. Light LunchPlease leave your packed luggage in your cabins, to be transferred to the bus, before coming to lunch.

1:15 p.m. Disembarkation/City Tour/Manatee Rescue Center/Transfer to the AirportYour afternoon in the remote city of Iquitos, accessible only by river or air, will not disappoint. This bustling town, complete with a house built by Gustave Eiffel, was once a rich center of the rubber industry. En route, we will visit the Manatee Rescue Center, where biologists and volunteers care for endangered Amazon manatees that conservation authorities have seized from local people and fishermen. Biologists will give a presentation about the project and its efforts to help these helpless mammals. You will also see how the manatees are cared for and are prepared for re-introduction into their natural habitat. Finally, we will stop at the San Juan Amazonian Indian Market, for a last chance to shop for local crafts.

4:30 p.m. Check-in at Iquitos International AirportYour guides will help you with check-in, and will stay with you until you board your flight back to Lima.